Chapter 3- Part 2 " 'System' Interface"

[Town Marketplace – 6:00 PM]

The marketplace was in a state of frantic disarray. Lanterns flickered above the crowded streets, casting long shadows as people hurried from stall to stall. The usual bustling energy of trade had shifted to something much more desperate. Merchants barked out inflated prices, and buyers haggled aggressively, their voices tinged with panic.

Vivek could overhear the paranoia spreading like wildfire:

"They, say the sky will crack open at midnight. Entire cities could disappear in an instant!" one woman whispered.

A merchant nearby scoffed. "Crack open? Hah, more likely the gods are toying with us. Better buy what you can before it's too late."

Another group of mercenaries huddled together, one of them muttering, "I've heard the Second Phase is a trial for conquest. The strong will rule, and the weak will perish."

Vivek weaved through the crowd, his mind racing. He didn't have the luxury of time, and every minute counted before midnight. His first stop was a stall selling potions.

The merchant, a grizzled old man, eyed him. "Five E-grade HP potions and five MP potions... that'll run you 500 coins."

Vivek hesitated but nodded, paying the man. He pocketed the potions into his satchel.

Next, he bought a bundle of bandages and a small jar of stamina-boosting alchemical pills. The vendor, sensing the urgency, grinned. "385 coins for this lot," she said, her tone dripping with greed.

Vivek handed over the remaining amount, reluctantly. His pouch now held only 650 coins. With all the essential items gathered, Vivek knew it was time to head back.

[Back at Vivek's Room – 8:35 PM]

Vivek returned to his small, modest room, the weight of the day's events settling heavily on his shoulders. The soft glow from a single lantern filled the room with a warm light, a stark contrast to the cold dread looming in his thoughts.

The black cat meowed softly, greeting him as he entered. "I got you something," Vivek muttered, his voice tired but affectionate. He pulled the protective necklace from his bag and gently fastened it around the cat's neck. The cat purred, nuzzling against his hand, completely unaware of the dangers lurking just hours away.

Vivek set down his supplies, arranging them on the small table. The five HP and MP potions glimmered in their glass vials. He unrolled the bandages and inspected the stamina-boosting pills. Everything he had purchased would help him survive whatever came next, but it still didn't feel like enough.

He collapsed onto the bed, staring at the cracked screen of his phone, which now displayed the time—8:35 PM. There were only a few hours left until the unknown struck at midnight. He reflected on how quickly his coins had dwindled. Out of the 1,535 coins he had in total, he now had just 650 remaining. Most of it had gone toward necessary supplies, with little left for future unknowns.

The cat jumped onto the bed, curling up beside him as Vivek ran a hand down its back. "At least you're ready," he muttered with a faint smile, glancing at the shimmering necklace around the cat's neck.

His room, small and barely furnished, felt like a sanctuary in this fleeting moment. But Vivek knew the calm wouldn't last long. Midnight was approaching, and with it, the promise of sweeping changes. His mind wandered back to the message from that morning—the ominous words that had thrown the realm into chaos.

{The awakening process will begin at midnight. Expect sweeping changes across every aspect of your world...}

With a sigh, Vivek stood, organizing his gear one last time, making sure everything was in place for whatever would come. His exhaustion from the day's events was starting to fade, replaced by a growing sense of anticipation.

"I'm ready," he whispered to himself, his eyes narrowing as he gazed out the small window. The world outside was growing darker, but it wasn't the natural nightfall that concerned him. Midnight would bring more than just darkness—it would bring the unknown.

[Vivek's Room - 11:45 PM]

Vivek sat cross-legged on his modest bed; his room illuminated by a small lamp on the wall. The day had been anything but ordinary. After the morning's bizarre message, his life had been thrown into a whirlwind of events—taking on commissions, battling the Gravelmaws, earning his reward, and fixing the wand that had become useless after the fight. He had even stocked up on supplies, preparing for whatever might come next. Yet, beneath the surface a simmering curiosity and a gnawing sense of anxiety lingered, unsettled by the day's strangeness.

He glanced at the time—11:45 PM. Fifteen minutes until midnight.

"Maybe nothing will happen. Maybe tomorrow will just be another day," he muttered to himself, trying to downplay the nervous anticipation swirling in his stomach.

The streets outside were unusually quiet. Typically, the neighbourhood buzzed with activity well into the night, but tonight, an eerie silence prevailed. It seemed as though everyone was waiting, collectively holding their breath for what was to come.

Unable to contain his restlessness, Vivek got up and walked toward the small window that overlooked the narrow alley below. The night was calm, with a gentle breeze rustling through the tattered curtains. He looked up at the sky, half-expecting some cosmic event to herald the impending changes, but everything appeared deceptively ordinary.

Then, after some time the mysterious object in the sky, which had lingered for three hundred years, began to glow with an otherworldly light, casting an ethereal golden hue across the Third Realm.

[Time: 11:58 PM – Two minutes before midnight]

A sudden, eerie silence fell across the land. In every town and city, no matter where people were—whether in their homes, on the streets, or deep in the wilderness—the world seemed to collectively hold its breath. The glow from the mysterious object in the sky intensified, casting an ominous light over everything. Anxiety gripped everyone; their fear palpable. Who is the God of Control, and why is he doing this to us? These were the thoughts that plagued the minds of every living being, casting a shadow of uncertainty over their lives.

Suddenly, everything stopped. Birds hung frozen in mid-air, insects ceased their buzzing, animals halted their movements, and even the restless flow of water and shifting clouds came to an abrupt halt. Time itself seemed to hold its breath, leaving the world in an unnatural stillness.

In the very next instant, the impossible happened. Every living creature began to vanish, disappearing in waves of light. Vivek, sitting quietly on his bed, was among them. Humans, animals, insects—everything that had been touched by life was whisked away, leaving behind only the untouched, natural world. The smallest of objects—needles, pens, and mobile phones—vanished alongside massive structures like trains, buildings, and entire cities.

For a brief moment, the Earth stood barren, populated only by the natural world—water, air, soil, rocks, mountains, and trees. Then, as if from nowhere, something extraordinary began. Fifty foreign planets appeared in the sky, their colossal forms casting vast shadows over the empty land. Slowly, they started to merge with Earth, their features melding into the landscape. Mountains from distant worlds collided with Earth's ranges, forests blended with alien counterparts, and strange new landforms emerged from the union.

Within minutes, the planet was unrecognizable. Earth had grown several times its original size, and the merging had brought not just an increase in size, but new and mysterious places. Then, as if by divine command, everything that had been teleported away reappeared, dropping back into place as though nothing had happened. Trees sprang up where they had once stood, cities reassembled themselves brick by brick, and creatures—both familiar and terrifyingly new—returned to the reborn world.

Vivek, like the rest, reappeared in his room, completely unaware of what had just transpired. Time had resumed without him noticing its absence. To him, everything seemed unchanged. There was no memory of disappearing or of being whisked away to some distant, cosmic corner of the universe. His room, the walls, the soft lamp casting a warm glow—everything felt ordinary, just as it had moments ago. No thought crossed his mind that anything had happened at all. The world outside had shifted in ways beyond his imagination, but to Vivek, it was as though time had never stopped.

The world had been reborn, but it was far from the same. The increased size of the planet meant that distances between places had grown exponentially. A journey that once took an hour would now take days. For many, this sudden expansion was daunting, but the true mystery lay in the changes that had come with the merging planets.

In just five minutes, the Earth had transformed. Vast, untamed forests now stretched where small woodlands once stood. Ancient lakes, their waters shimmering with unnatural hues, dotted the landscape. Mountains crowned with ruined cities loomed in the distance, while strange beasts and monsters, some from Earth and others from the fifty foreign planets, roamed freely. Deep chasms, seemingly endless, opened in the ground, hiding who knows what within their depths.

[Awakening Process - 12:00 AM]

As time resumed its flow, humans, animals, and monsters regained control of their bodies. In every city, from the smallest D-rank towns to the mightiest S-rank metropolises, a towering structure materialized on its own —a magical teleportation tower, glowing faintly with otherworldly light. It seemed to be a gift, a means of travel and exploration across this new, larger world.

[Welcome, Vivek.] system panel greet Vivek for the first time.

"What the...?" Vivek gasped, blinking in disbelief. The screen glowed softly, Infront of his eyes.

{Quests:}

-[Beginner's Quest]: {Explore the 'System' interface and familiarize yourself with its functions. Reward: 100 XP, Basic Skill Book.}

Vivek stared at the floating screen in stunned silence. His life had been transformed into something out of a game—an RPG interface. He tentatively reached out, touching the screen, which responded by expanding and providing more detailed information.

Before he could process the new reality, a unified message resounded within his mind, echoing across the entire realm:

[Public Announcement]

{Awakening Process Complete. Welcome to the New Era.}

{Initializing 'System' Interface...}

Around the world, everyone saw the same translucent screens materialize before them, each tailored to their unique attributes and statuses. The voice from the announcement continued, its tone grand and authoritative:

{Attention, inhabitants of Realm #RU527. The 'System' has been successfully integrated into your reality. This system will assist in your growth and adaptation to the upcoming challenges. Embrace this change to unlock your true potential.}

{The 'Conqueror of Realm' phase has officially begun. Portals to various 'Dungeons' and 'Trial Grounds' will appear across your world. Conquering these will yield rewards and resources necessary for survival and advancement. Be warned: dangers abound, and failure could result in dire consequences.}

{Additionally, a protective barrier has been established around your realm to prevent external interferences. Utilize this period wisely to strengthen yourselves. The duration of this phase is ten years in your time. After which, inter-realm interactions will commence.}

{May you strive and thrive in this New Era. Let the game E???? begin.}

Vivek's heart raced. He glanced around his small room, feeling a strange mixture of excitement and fear. The world outside had changed in unimaginable ways, and now, he was part of something far larger than he had ever dreamed.

New era has begun....

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To Be Continued